Precious Pearls — Page 121
123 93 Niyog is a special custom among certain Hindus wherein a woman may conceive a child by sleeping with a man other than her husband. 94 The following footnote is by the author himself: “At this place, what is meant by the word “Vedas” is that teaching that is published by the Arya Samaaj according to their understanding. Otherwise, it should be remembered that we defer the true reality of the Vedas unto God. We do not know as to the additions or deletions these people have made therein. While there are hundreds of sects that claim submission to the Vedas in India and Punjab, how can we place the blame of any specific sect upon the Vedas? Furthermore, this is also proved that the Vedas have been altered, too. Thus, due to alteration, it is futile to hope for any good from them. ” 95 The following footnote is by the author himself: “It should be remembered that what we mean here by the teachings of the Vedas is those teachings and those principles that the Aryas demonstrate and state that the teaching of Niyog is in the Vedas. According to them, the Vedas announce loudly that if a person has no children, or has only girls, then it is compulsory for him to allow his wife to sleep with another and thus obtain a boy for her salvation. This relationship can be maintained until eleven boys have been conceived. If the husband is travelling, then the wife herself with the intention of Niyog can develop a relationship with another so that she can obtain children in this way and, on the return of her husband, may make a present unto him and show to him that while he went journeying in pursuit of goods, she earned such wealth in his absence. “Thus, intellect and honour of mankind can never suggest such a shameful act to be permissible. How can it do it while this wife has not been divorced from her husband and is not free of the confinement of marriage with him? “Alas! Alas! These are the things that the Arya people ascribe to the Vedas. However, we cannot say whether this teaching is in reality that of the Vedas. It is possible that certain monks who remained abstinent, and were overwhelmed by sexual emotions, made up these things by themselves and attributed them to the Vedas. Or these things may have been included in the Vedas through alteration. The Hindu scholars have written that the Vedas have endured a period when considerable alterations were made in them and many of their pure religious edicts were altered. Otherwise, the intellect does not accept that the Vedas would teach such a thing. Nor any sound mind accepts this thing that a person would make his pious wife sleep with another for the sake of merely obtaining children and without giving her divorce or separating from her in a legal manner. For such acts belong to dishonourable men. However, if a woman has obtained a divorce, and she has no relation with her husband, then under the circumstances it is possible for such a woman to marry another. There is no objection to it or blame against her chastity. Otherwise, we announce loudly that the outcome of Niyog is not good. “On one hand, the people of Arya Samaaj are opposed to the veiling of women that it is a Muslim custom. On the other hand, the “chaste” principle of Niyog is reaching the ears of women every day and it is established in the minds of these women that they can sleep with other men. Every wise one can now understand that after listening to such things particularly when they are mentioned with reference to the Vedas how the base emotions of women will rage in them. They may even take several steps more. Furthermore, when the bridge of veiling is gone as well, then everyone can understand the extent to which the flood of these impious emotions will ruin a home. For this reason, several examples of this thing are present in Jagan Naath and Benaras. How we wish that a person of understanding were born among these people! “We don’t understand as well why having children is necessary for obtaining salvation. Are persons such as Pandit Dianand who did not marry and had no children are deprived of salvation? Such salvation be cursed if it is obtained by making one’s wife sleep with another and by making her commit such an act that is like adultery in the eyes of the world, and but for such impious action no salvation is available. “We do not understand as well that all those thousands of abilities and traits that are present in the souls, and in the cells of the body, that they are all by themselves from the beginning and are not obtained from God. Then what use is such a God for? And what is the proof of His existence? And why should He be called God? And why should He be obeyed completely while His own upbringing is not complete? And